• Rashard Mendenhall hasn't had a 100-yard rushing performance since carrying 19 times for 143 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay on Sept. 26 — a span pf eight games. Mendenhall said he isn't anxious to break the 100-yard barrier again after doing it twice in his first three games. "We have to execute as an offense better in our running game, and those kind of games will happen,'' Mendenhall said following Friday's practice. "You'd like to have that. We're taking steps forward, but our test is on Sundays. That's when we'll know.''

• If the Steelers offensive line remains status quo Sunday afternoon at Buffalo with Ramon Foster at right guard, it will mark the second consecutive week that unit has started. Due to injuries, the offensive line has featured five different starting lineups.

• Defensive end Brett Keisel is finally recovered from a nagging hamstring injury. Keisel missed two starts, then returned against Cincinnati, only to leave early in that game and miss the next two starts. "It's been frustrating to sit on the sideline,'' Keisel said. "I'm definitely excited to get back in the mix and push through December.''

• Rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown, who received his first action last week after being inactive for five consecutive games, is out with a knee injury. Tight end Matt Spaeth (concussion) is doubtful.

kraig urbik starting for buffalo? we better send blitzes up that gap all day

mikegrimey

11-27-2010, 04:33 PM

Urbik intends to make us pay!!!

Battle of the castoff linemen, who will prevail, the guard with an unconventially spelled first name Kraig or the blind protector of the blindside Jonathan Scott? I'd expect both teams to try and exploit the others obvious weaknesses on these points.

TRH

11-28-2010, 07:58 AM

well, thats what happens when you're the most predicatable play-calling team in the NFL.
They run him straight up the middle consecutive plays in a row over and over, especially in the red zone. Hell, i know he's getting the ball up the middle. Thus, he gets STUFFED repeatedly. Then....it seems as if Arians then gives up on him, instead of trying some new plays with him. At times they'll run him outside and he picks up good yargage. Why not run more of that?
Repeat next game. Then the next.
This has been a strange pattern as of late.

theplatypus

11-28-2010, 08:04 AM

That and the fact that he doesnt play every down. And why isnt Mendy catching balls from the back field anymore? And why is Moore playing in the 2nd quarter? Offense is pure crap.

Tomlin started using Moore on every 3rd series a couple of weeks ago. Not sure if it's too appease Moore or save Mendy.

Whodis

11-28-2010, 08:15 AM

I think he's being slowed by the fact we continue to try to run into a line with no fullback to make holes. Think about it....... Bettis will be a HOF runningback. Can we think back to a year when he didn't have a blocker out front? He didn't because I remember all 3 of them. I just don't think a empty backfield "ruuning game" works in our division. Just my opinion